They Call Her Dilara
by INFJwriter
Summary: The Ninja get a call from the police saying there's been an incident of vandalism at a haunted house attraction. But it turns out that it's not just a bunch of teenagers having a laugh. The spirit of Dilara wants revenge on the ninja who took her love away from her again. One thing is for sure: this is going to be one crazy Halloween... (Cover pic has changed)
1. Introduction

**(A/N) Hello again, everyone! Sorry this is so late. The winner of the Halloween fanfiction idea contest is…**

 **ShinyShiny9!**

 **I picked yours because it was specific enough to give me a good idea, but vague enough to allow me to work with it. I've picked out my angle.**

 **We have no clue how Dilara died. We don't know her backstory, her origins - heck, we don't even know how she met Nadakhan. All we know is she was at one time part of the crew of Misfortune's Keep and that she was in love with Nadakhan. And that she was evil, given her temperament when Nya was under the spell that turned her into Dilara.**

 **Well, now I am going to explore that with this Halloween story. It takes place the Halloween after Season 6. Here's the (very brief) introduction. Get ready for one heck of a ride…**

* * *

Introduction

The Arabian Isles in the East Ninjago Sea are mostly just desert nowadays, but in the Golden Age, they were places of trade and great wealth. They thrived on the spice market, and merchants from all over Ninjago would come to the Isles to make their fortunes.

There was one very wealthy family in the Isles called the Rajads. They were a snooty family of three, a mother, a father, and a daughter they called Dilara. The father was an advisor of the Sultan himself, so they had everything they could ever want. Dilara was constantly showered with gifts, since her parents simply _adored_ her.

As the girl grew older, her beauty blossomed like a flower. When she came of the age for marriage, it was widely believed that she would be promised to the Sultan's son. Indeed, the rumors proved to be true. Her parents were proud, so proud, their beautiful daughter deserved no less than the prince himself. Courting began, and the prince was very taken with her. Dilara, however, showed no signs of interest at all. She believed she was not the princess type. She wanted a man who was more adventurous, someone who could whisk her away from this dry land, someone who could give her everything she desired.

But alas, she had been promised to the prince. Wedding preparations were made, and Dilara was moved from her family's seaside home to her own room in the palace. But the day before the wedding, pirates struck the palace. They took many captives, including Dilara herself. They took the prisoners and lined them up for the plank. Dilara was last in line, but just before she was pushed forward, someone yelled for everyone to stop. Dilara turned and saw the captain of the ship. He floated over to her and ordered that she be unharmed.

From then on, she was treated like a queen, thanks to the captain. Later he introduced himself as Nadakhan the Jinn. He said she was welcome to stay, but he would take her home if she so wished. But something about Nadakhan was… _different_. He was unlike any other man Dilara had met. He was daring, bold, adventurous, everything she ever wanted. She trusted him, for he would never hurt her. Eventually they confessed their love, and planned their marriage.

But disaster struck. Captain Soto and his crew won a battle with Misfortune's Keep and Dilara's love disappeared. She searched the land and seas for years. She swore she would never give up looking. But grief stole over her, and she eventually was forced to conclude that her love was gone forever. She returned to her old house, only to find that her parents had both died of grief over her disappearance, believing her to be dead. She spent the rest of her days mourning her losses until the day she died.

Nowadays, the house is a popular tourist attraction, especially during Halloween, when it is open to the public as a "haunted house". Indeed, the house always had a creepy feel to it. But no one ever saw anything that hinted of it being actually haunted.

That is, until the words appeared on the wall of the entrance hall.

The police called it vandalism, but excited tourists theorized it was the spirit of Dilara that put the message there. On the walls, carved through the peeling wallpaper, were words that sent a chill up even the police officers' spines:

MY LOVE WAS BACK, AND THEN HE WAS GONE. BRING ME THE ONE WHO TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME, OR ELSE.

So, naturally, the ninja received a phone call.


	2. Chapter 1

**(A/N) Hello again, everybody! I have chapter one finally done! This fic has already officially broken a personal record! Most reviews on one chapter! If you like this one, you should check out my** _ **Nightprowlers**_ **series. It does have a lot of OCs, but I think they are a lot better than this. These chapters are probably not going to be very long, especially not as long as some of my other chapters in** _ **Nightprowlers**_ **. This fic is written in a similar fashion to the show, as opposed to my** _ **Nightprowlers**_ **universe, where I give it my own personal flair. This may sound unappetizing, especially for non-OC people, but I did get a whopping total of 60, yes, 60 reviews on** _ **Nightprowlers Book 2: 21st Century Ninja.**_ **So… yeah.**

 **Okay, enough talk, read!**

* * *

Chapter One

Ever since Jay and Nya had suddenly and inexplicably gotten back together, the press had been nagging the Ninja constantly for an explanation. And Nya was getting quite sick of it.

"So, Nya," the talk show host began at yet another late night show interviewing herself and Jay. "Just how did you make the decision to choose Jay over Cole?"

Nya took a deep breath to keep her cool. "Like I have said before to so many people," she started firmly, "I simply made up my mind."

" _Reeeaaallllly?_ Was it _thaaaaat_ simple?"

"Yes, it was. Right Jay?"

"Yeah," Jay agreed. "It really was that simple."

Both of them knew they were lying though. It had not been that simple. Quite the contrary. The decision involved pirates, a forced wedding, and Nya dying, but there was _no way_ they were telling the public that. The only people they had told were the Ninja, Sensei Wu, Misako, and Cyrus Borg. After hearing about Echo, Zane had become intrigued and even asked when he would be able to meet his "little brother". They had decided to wait until the rage about the ninja died down a little more, because the last thing they needed was a headline about Zane's long lost brother. Having observed what was presently going on with Jay and Nya, Zane had felt very opposed to the idea of the press being centered in the same way on him.

Cole's reaction was a lot more understanding than they had thought it would be. First they had to explain all about the conflict that had happened between himself and Jay, since Cole had absolutely no memory of it. When told about the reflection in the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb, he merely asked why Jay had not told him what he'd seen before now. When Jay said it was because he didn't want to ruin their friendship, Cole forgave him saying that the past was the past and if this was what both Jay and Nya wanted, then he wasn't going to get in the way because of some silly love triangle that he couldn't even remember happening anyway.

"What about Cole?" the talk show host asked, still trying to get them to talk more about Nya's decision. "We asked him to be here, too. Were you worried he would get angry?"

"Cole had other plans," Jay answered, trying to keep his temper from showing. These talk show hosts were almost as bad as the reporters. At least this time he was telling the truth, partially. Cole was investigating a new report of vandalism. The case seemed too minor to send the whole team, so the earth ninja had gone ahead to see if it was really as urgent as the police had said it was. Knowing Cole, though, volunteering to be the one to go was probably a clever way of getting out of the talk show. And Jay didn't blame him. The media seemed not to believe him when he said he didn't remember the love triangle, and seemed to be even more determined to get a better answer out of him.

Suddenly a man in a black suit came out from backstage and whispered into the talk show host's ear. He frowned for a moment, but quickly put on another smile and said to the cameras, "Alright, folks, we'll be back after a brief commercial break! See you in a bit!" The crowd clapped. Jay looked at Nya with a confused expression. Usually they were kept up on the stage a lot longer than this. What was going on?

That question was quickly answered by the man from backstage. "We just got a call from Mister Wu. There's a situation. They need you."

Nya let out a small sigh of relief. At least they could get out of here. She and Jay shook hands with the talk show host and quickly left the stage.

* * *

Back on the _Bounty,_ everyone was gathered in the bridge. Jay and Nya raced in to see Cole's face on the large screen.

"Jay! Nya! Good, I can see you all are here," the black ninja said. Jay noticed his voice seemed slightly worried.

"Now that we're all together, Cole," Wu began, "let's hear your full report."

"Yes, Sensei. Alright, guys, listen up. This case seems a little out of the ordinary for vandalism."

"What do you mean, Cole?" Lloyd asked.

"Jay, Nya. You said all the events that happened with the pirates is now in an alternate timeline, right? None of it happened in our timeline, right?"

"Right…" Jay answered slowly. "Why?"

"Well, the 'vandalism' the police were talking about is a message on the wall of the entrance hall in this house that's supposed to be haunted."

"What does that have to do with the alternate timeline?"

"I'm getting there. The message says, 'my love was gone, and then he was back. Bring me the one who took him away from me, or else.' The house used to belong to a woman. This woman lost her love and her family and died of grief in this house. They say she still haunts the place to this day."

"I still don't see what this has to do with-"

"The woman. They call her Dilara."

The room became so silent one could hear a pin drop.

"So what you're saying is," Jay started slowly, "that the spirit of Dilara... wants revenge on me?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Cole answered seriously.

The second silence was broken by Kai. "How do we know for sure that it was the spirit of Dilara? It could be some group of kids having a laugh."

"My servers say that is the most logical explanation," Zane added. "But my senses say otherwise. This is most unusual for me."

"Well, I think we should still check it out," Lloyd decided. "More often than not, Zane's senses are more accurate than his logic."

"Well, Lloyd, you're the leader," Kai shrugged. "So, where is this haunted house?"

"The Arabian Isles," Cole informed. "They're in the East Ninjago Sea."

"I'll set the course," Nya stated, and rushed over to the control board. "Next stop, Arabian Isles!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dark, cobwebbed bedroom, a woman sat at a table with a hand mirror. As she gazed into it, warped images started to swirl into view. She could see a figure, a young man dressed in blue. The woman smiled. Soon, very soon, she would have her revenge.

* * *

Hours later, the _Bounty_ landed on the beach. They had reached their destination. When everyone stepped out onto the deck, they all gasped.

It was like they had landed in the middle of a painting. The desert was beautiful. Rock formations in a multitude of shapes rose out of the dry earth in many different shades of red and orange. To the east they could see rising sand dunes that looked almost like waves of the ocean. To the west, the sun was beginning to set over a rusty red mountain range. To the north was a small town built out of tan stone. And to the south was the rolling sea.

Just then they were snapped out of their trance by a familiar voice. "Well, look who's here!" The ninja turned and saw Cole walking toward them down below. They all hopped off the deck to meet him. The black ninja removed his mask and took a deep breath in through his nose. "Ahh, would you just smell that dirt! Always wanted to come here. The postcard pictures don't do it justice!"

"The temperature feels nice," Kai commented.

"On the contrary," Zane panted. "My internal fans are working overtime."

"How about we get the ice nindroid inside before he melts?" Jay suggested.

Zane cocked his head. "I cannot melt in this temperature, Jay. My titanium body has a melting point of approximately 3,034 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1,668 degrees Celsius."

"Uhh, what?" Jay asked, thoroughly confused.

"Guys, let's just go and see what this is all about," Lloyd interrupted. "Cole, lead the way."

"Gotcha. This way, everyone."

They were traveling along the sandy beach for what seemed like forever until they finally reached a stone stairway leading up the dunes away from the water. Cole led the way up it until they came to the top of a plateau overlooking the sea. Ahead of them, on the edge of the cliff, was a house that looked very old. It was made of cracked white stone, and had three stories. The curtains in the windows looked tattered, and the door was in bad shape. Police officers were standing outside. Two approached the newcomers.

"Well, lookie here! The ninja!" one exclaimed. "Boy, are we glad to see you!"

"So, what's all this about a message on the wall?" Lloyd asked.

"Eh," the other shrugged. "It just seemed too weird to not call you guys. Come and have a look."

The ninja followed the officers into the house. When they got inside however, they didn't see any messages on any of the walls. That wasn't to say the room wasn't unimpressive. The entrance hall was obviously once quite grand. Dusty but ornate pieces of furniture sat on the edges of the room, detailed rugs hung from hooks on the walls, a tall grandfather clock stood in the corner, and a grand staircase led upstairs. "Uh, where is it?" Jay asked.

"Any minute now," the first officer said, looking out the window at the setting sun. "It only shows up at night." Just as the sun slipped below the horizon, the wall on the left began to shine. Green glowing words appeared carved into the wallpaper. Before they could start reading them though, they stopped glowing, and they were plunged into darkness.

"Hold on, hold on," an officer said. A flashlight came on. He pointed it at the wall. "Hey, that's not what it said before," he said, perplexed. Now a different message was showing.

WELCOME, NINJA. YOUR PRESENCE IS MOST APPRECIATED. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU. ESPECIALLY ONE OF YOU.

Jay gulped. Before anyone could say anything, the front door flew open, and the officers were pushed outside by some unseen force. The door slammed behind them, and a click of a lock echoed into the hall. Without the flashlights, they were once again in the dark. Lloyd and Kai used their powers to make a light source.

"Is everyone okay?" Lloyd asked. Everyone nodded. "Good. Any ideas on how we get out of here?"

Before anyone could reply, the wall behind them glowed once more. A new message had appeared.

BRING ME THE BLUE ONE, AND THE REST MAY LEAVE.

"We'll never give you Jay!" Kai yelled at the wall. The message changed yet again.

IF YOU WILL NOT BRING HIM, THEN I WILL TAKE HIM.

* * *

 **(A/N) Oooooooooh, things are getting spooky now!**

 **If you've read Nightprowlers, be sure to vote on my poll on who your favorite Nightprowler is! And don't forget to check out my facebook page, INFJ writer! Review please!**

 **P.S. The melting point for titanium really is 3,034 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1,668 degrees Celsius. I wasn't making that up. XD**


	3. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Hello, all! I am back! I updated early because I want to finish this fic on the 31st. By the way, I've been noticing an interesting pattern. It seems that I have an almost entirely different reviewing crowd for this non-OC fic than I do for my _Nightprowlers_ series. I think it's because there's a larger focus on the canon characters in this story. And what's funny is that I'm actually seeing this phenomenon in person, because my little brother who has never read my fanfics before now (most of my fanfiction is OC-centric) is suddenly interested in this one! XD**

 **Before we get started, I'm going to answer some guest reviews!**

 **TheAmberShadow: Haha! Thanks! I had fun with that little line….**

 **MMM: Well, let's remember, Nya wasn't really "stealing" Nadakhan. She actually hated Nadakhan, thus there really isn't a real reason for Dilara to hate Nya except that she's good.**

 **1234: Okay, I can do flashbacks for you, but I'm afraid it won't be the exact one you're requesting. However, you might see a similar scenario with two other characters in this story….**

 **ronin2468: Thanks!**

 **In this chapter, we'll discover a very interesting thing about the prince of the Arabian Isles, as well as see the ninja exploring the house. We also might just find out what Dilara** _ **really**_ **wants with Jay….**

 **Read!**

* * *

Chapter Two

 _Dilara stood in front of the mirror in her room in her brand new silk gown. She had to admit, it was quite pretty. It was scarlet, with sparkling jewels all over the bodice. The skirt was full, and had gold sparkles all over it. Her mother had insisted on her also wearing a real gold clip in her short, raven hair. Today her parents were taking her to the palace to meet her future husband. And Dilara was not looking forward to it._

 _Even when she was little, she didn't want to marry a prince, no matter how handsome. She had always wanted someone who had a taste for danger, adventure, and freedom. She didn't care about one day being the queen of the Arabian Isles. Sure, she liked being in a rich family, she got everything she asked for, but she didn't want to be locked up in a castle, too._

 _"Dilara, darling! It's time to go!" her mother called from downstairs. Dilara sighed and called back that she was coming. Time for all her dreams to die…._

 _When they arrived at the palace, the Sultan and the prince were waiting in the entrance hall. "Dilara," the Sultan greeted, "welcome to our home. I would like to introduce you to my son, Amir."_

 _Dilara turned her attention to the prince. He wasn't that bad-looking. He had reddish-brown hair, blue eyes that seemed to flash like a stormy sky, and a small scar that split his right eyebrow. He was dressed in robes of blue and silver. He smiled boyishly at her. To be polite, she smiled back._

 _"Dilara," he said, "it is such a pleasure to meet you and your family."_

 _"Amir, why don't you show Dilara around the palace?" the Sultan suggested. "I have some things to discuss with her family."_

 _"Of course, Father. Follow me, Dilara," the prince said, taking her hand, and led her away._

* * *

Dilara sat on her bed, gazing up at a portrait on the wall. It depicted herself in a regal gown, sitting on a bench in a garden with the prince. She remembered how painful it was to sit there for hours on end while the artist took his sweet time in making this very painting. Those were some of the most dreadful days of her life, the time she spent in that palace. It felt like a prison to her. The best thing that ever happened to her was when the pirates kidnapped her. It was the start of a new life, a life of adventure and true love.

And she almost had it again. But it was taken away. Taken by a young man who looked all too familiar….

* * *

 _This place gives me the creeps,_ Jay thought with a shudder.

Opening what seemed like the one hundredth door in their search for another exit, the ninja found themselves in a large library. Cobwebs stretched across corners. The velvet chairs around the room were faded and dusty, and oil lamps stood on tables. The bookshelves were lined with faded volumes, covered every inch of the walls, and reached all the way up to the tall ceiling. There was a large, golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and the frayed curtains were drawn against the windows. A huge marble statue of a pile of giant books stood in the center of the room.

"Well, Dilara's family was filthy rich," Kai commented. "Judging from what we've seen of this house so far, they had absolutely no financial problems. Remember all those priceless artifacts we found in that hallway?"

"I hope we get out of here soon," Cole voiced. "This place brings back bad memories." Everyone knew he was talking about Yang's temple. Jay couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for the poor guy.

The ninja spread out in the library to look for ways out of the house, like they had in all the previous rooms. Jay wandered over to a dusty desk on which a stack of parchment rested. "Hey, look what I found!" Jay called, his voice echoing around the room.

"An exit?" Cole asked hopefully.

"No, letters!" The other ninja walked over to where he was standing. All the letters were covered in fancy handwriting.

"But it's written in chicken scratch!" Kai was losing his patience. "Why'd you bring us over here for this?!"

"Not chicken scratch," Zane corrected, "That is a form of writing unique to the old language of the Arabian Isles. It fell out of use centuries ago."

"Can you read it?" Nya asked.

"PIXAL is retrieving information on the language now." After a brief moment of silence, Zane took the letter from Jay and began to translate. "'Dear Mr. Rajad, My greatest condolences go to you and your wife on the loss of your daughter to the pirate raid. The palace can be repaired, but knowing how much you loved dear Dilara, this tragedy will leave permanent wounds on the both of you. She was a polite young lady, and I am deeply sorry for you. My son is heartbroken. Amir truly cared for her, and was looking forward to their wedding day. I will of course accept your invitation to attend the memorial. If there is anything I can do, simply ask. The palace doors are always open to you. Sincerely, The Sultan.'"

"Woah. Dilara's family was friends with the Sultan?" Jay asked. "And she was going to marry this guy Amir… the Sultan's son?"

"I suppose so," Zane replied.

"Uhh, Jay?" Lloyd asked from across the room.

"What's up?" Jay responded, inspecting a book titled _1001 Arabian Nights._

"Why is there a big painting of you in here?"

"Huh?" Jay looked up and saw Lloyd pointing at a large portrait on the wall between two tall windows. The book fell out of his hands as he saw the young man depicted in it. He rushed over to get a closer look. His jaw dropped. There in the painting was a youth whose face was a carbon copy of Jay's. Even the scar splitting his eyebrow was there. The difference was his clothing. He was wearing dark blue robes and a white turban with a sapphire on it. He looked nothing short of royal. Jay's head was exploding with questions that he had no way of answering.

"There's a description below it," Lloyd pointed out. "'Depicted is Amir, Prince of the Arabian Isles.' So that's Amir."

Cole chuckled. "Well, what do you know? We're in the midst of royalty!" he joked.

"Oh, ha ha, you're hilarious, Cole," Jay said sarcastically.

Kai, deciding to join in on the fun, ran over and bowed in front of Jay. "All hail the Prince of the Arabian Isles, Amir!" he proclaimed, and proceeded to prance around the blue ninja, pretending to play a trumpet. Jay promptly punched him in the gut, which ended the display.

"Alright guys, knock it off," Lloyd chided, breaking them up.

"So there's this long dead prince that looks like me," Jay huffed. "So what?"

"Doesn't that seem odd, though, Jay?" Nya asked quietly. "I think this is more significant than you might realize."

Jay turned to her with a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she said, looking worried, "think about what Dilara wants. She only wants you, right? But we all kind of contributed to Nadakhan's downfall. So why does she only want Jay, and not the rest of us?"

"What are you saying, sis?" Kai asked.

"Well, I found this book open," she continued. She held up an old, red volume. "It's a spellbook. The page it was open to was the instructions on how a ghost can become human again. You need to take the solid form out from another person. But it can't just be any person. It says you need a person from your past who had feelings for you but who you did not love in return."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cole asked.

"Well, according to the letter Zane translated, Amir was in love with Dilara, but I highly doubt Dilara felt the same about him."

"Right, but sis, Amir is dead. How can she-" Kai started, but Nya wasn't finished.

"Nadakhan thought I was the reincarnation of Dilara. What if Dilara thinks Jay is the reincarnation of Amir?"

There was complete and total silence as Nya's theory sunk in.

"We need to leave," Lloyd said in a low voice. "Now." When no one moved, he raised his voice. "NOW!"

Everyone ran as fast as they could out of the library. All any of the ninja could think about was getting out of here as soon as possible. Suddenly a familiar laugh echoed through the hallways.

"Don't think you can get out of here this easily!" Dilara's voice sneered. "No one leaves until the blue ninja is delivered to me!"

They kept running until they finally reached the entrance hall. "There's the door!" Cole shouted. Kai got there first. He grabbed the knob, and miraculously, it opened! Everyone rushed outside into the cool night and took big gulps of fresh air.

"Wait a minute," Kai said suddenly. "Dilara just said that no one could leave until Jay was delivered to her. How come we were able to get out?"

Everyone looked around frantically, and to their horror, the blue ninja was not among them. Everyone looked back at the house and cried, "JAY!"

* * *

 **(A/N) Houston, we have a problem.**

 **Thanks to all the people who reviewed on the last chapter and the introduction! These include CraftyNinjaCat13, ShinyShiny9, ebony umbreon, TheAmberShadow, PrincessMialyn, LiaLia15, MMM, 1234, CrystalliaWriting, MLPninjagomore13, ronin2468, MissLaurenLovely, Toni42, and Kairocksrainbow. Thank you all!**

 **I thought it would be interesting to have another look-alike anomaly like they had in season 6. This fic is kind of swapping a few of Jay's and Nya's roles in that season. You're going to see a couple more parallels like this in chapter 3, too.**

 **So, what do you think will happen? Will the ninja find Jay? Will they save him from Dilara's terrible clutches? Or will they be too late? Tell me in the reviews!**

 **ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS UNTIL THE PREMIERE OF SEASON 7! AAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

 ***Ahem.* Review please!**


	4. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Warning: This chapter is a rollercoaster. I'm going to suffocate all your hearts and then revive them again. I'll need you to sign this waiver here… thank you…**

 **I am amazed. The number of total views of this story in these few chapters has almost exceeded** _ **Neverender**_ **'s rewrite. O_O**

 **Guest review replies!**

 **TheAmberShadow: Took you by surprise, did I? Thanks!**

 **MMM: Well, I guess… but remember: in The Way Back, Nadakhan asks Dilara if she forgives him. She says of course, because he did what he had to do for them to be together. So she really isn't mad. She might actually have been GLAD that she had Nya to possess so that she could be with Nadakhan again.**

 **Guest: Thank you! Here it is!**

 **Ninjagirl99204: Thanks! Here it is!**

* * *

Chapter Three

Everyone looked back at the house and cried, "JAY!"

Nya started to run toward the house, but Zane stopped her. "Nya, I know it's hard, but we need a plan. We can't just run in there blindly."

Nya continued to struggle. "But she took him! She took Jay!"

"Believe me, sis, I'm mad too," Kai told her. "By the end of the night, that ghost will be history. And don't worry: with your water powers, you automatically have the honors."

"But how are we gonna find him in time?" Cole asked nervously. "We've been through all those rooms; we know how huge that house is. And look around. The police are gone. We don't have any extra search teams." He was right. Apparently all the police must have been spooked when two of their number were pushed out the door by an unseen force. The five remaining ninja were the only people outside. "By the time we find Jay, we won't have a ghost of a chance of saving him," Cole finished.

"You've been using that phrase a lot lately," Kai pointed out irritatedly. "Could you cut it out? It's getting annoying."

"Guys, focus!" Lloyd reprimanded. "Our task is to find Jay and get him out of there. We're going back inside that house and we won't come out until we find him. We're going to stick together, and we're going to take down Dilara once and for all."

"Yes, stick together, please," Cole said. "This is the second time now that we've split up in a haunted house and ended up regretting it."

"Third time's the charm!" Kai said optimistically.

"Alright team, ready?" Lloyd asked. Everyone nodded. "Then let's go!"

As they reentered the house, Nya asked, "How are we going to find him? We have no directions."

"Perhaps I can sense the way," Zane offered.

Cole snickered. Nya frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just imagining what Jay would say to that." He made his voice sound a little higher than usual. "'Great! The nindroid's our metal detector! A Jay-detector! Geddit?' Oh, Jay and his jokes."

Nya allowed herself a small smile. That did kind of sound like a Jay thing to say. He was always making jokes like that. But it wasn't always when he was happy. Jay had once told her that sometimes his jokes were a coping technique. They'd share a lot of secrets like that. Ever since they'd gotten back together, they'd decided there would be no more keeping secrets from each other, even if the truth was harsh. Dishonesty had only gotten them into trouble.

Just then she looked at the wall and let out a squeak. "Look!" she cried. Everyone turned to see the new message that was carved through the wallpaper.

ONE HALF HOUR.

"Let's hurry up with this, shall we?" Kai suggested weakly. "Which way first? Zane? Any thoughts?"

"My senses say right," he responded.

Zane's directions led them through a few hallways and eventually took them into what looked like a girl's bedroom. There was a dusty dresser with jewelry on top, a twin-size bed with pink covers and frayed, faded pink curtains, dolls on a shelf, a full-length mirror, and a table in the center of the room on which sat a hand mirror. Every surface was coated with a thick layer of dust. Nya picked up the mirror and looked into it. Instead of her own face staring back at her, the surface of the mirror looked like light blue water. She tapped it and ripples extended outward from the point of impact. There were words along the handle. _Ti dnif lliw i dna, kees uoy tahw em llet._ Nya wondered what it meant.

"Aargh!" Kai growled. "He's not here! Zane, what were you thinking?!"

"My senses-"

"Guys!" Nya yelped.

"What is it, sis?" Kai inquired.

"Jay! I can see him in this mirror!"

Everyone rushed to her side and looked over her shoulders to see Jay. He was chained to a wall in a place with low lighting. That was all they could see, however.

"I see him, but where is he?" Cole asked.

"A cellar, perhaps?" Zane guessed. "The low lighting seems to suggest that."

"We didn't come across any cellars in this house, this time or last!" Kai burst.

Just then Nya had an idea. "Guys! We should look for secret passageways!" she exclaimed.

"Good idea!" Cole said. "Zane, can you find anything?"

Zane scanned the area. Then he walked over to the dresser and began to push at it. It slid away and a door appeared.

"Yes!" Lloyd cheered. "Let's go, guys!"

They opened the door and discovered a staircase. They began to descend. Suddenly Kai, who was leading the way, disappeared. The stair underneath him had vanished, and he'd fallen down what looked like a trap door.

"Kai!" everyone shouted down the gap.

"I'm fine! Keep going!" Kai's voice called. The four remaining ninja exchanged uneasy glances and continued down the stairs. They ended up in what looked like a secret tunnel network. The walls and floor were made of stone with snake patterns on them, and torches lit the way down three separate paths.

"Zane?" Lloyd asked. "Which way?"

"Left," the nindroid instructed. But before they went too far, an unseen stone barrier in the ceiling started to lower itself to block their way. The ninja sped up, but only Zane and Nya were able to slip underneath it. They'd been separated again.

"It's made of deepstone!" Cole shouted from the other side. "I can't ghost through it!"

Zane grabbed Nya's arm. "We must keep going! We don't have much time!" They continued, but they hadn't gone much farther before the snake patterns on the floor suddenly jumped to life. Nya and Zane tried to hold them back with their powers, but the water wasn't doing much. The ice seemed to be expanding in the cracks in the stone, so it was slowly working.

"Go, Nya!" Zane ordered. "You have the water powers! You must stop Dilara!"

"But how do I get there?!"

"I sense it's just ahead. Hurry!"

Nya bit her lip and ran for it. She only hoped she wasn't too late….

 _Jay, hold on just a little bit longer…._

* * *

Being held by an evil Jinn was one thing. Being held by that evil Jinn's just as evil, long dead lover was another.

Jay didn't know how long he had been trapped down here in the creepy, cobwebbed basement. The stuffy air was making it hard to breathe. He'd tried to think of happy thoughts, but even dwelling on Nya wasn't enough to relax his panicked mind. Jay tried once again to break the vengestone chains tying him to the wall. No success.

"I see you've stayed put, just like I asked."

Jay turned to see a ghostly figure descending the staircase. Dilara had returned. He also saw that she was holding the spellbook Nya had seen earlier. His nerves mounted, but he put on an angry facade to cover it up.

"Well, then, do I get a prize for being a good boy?" Jay shot back sarcastically.

Dilara laughed. "Oh, what a brave young man you are. I can see why Nya likes you. Now, do you know what I am going to do with you?"

Jay almost said yes, but thought it would be best to keep her talking as long as possible. "No," he lied.

"No? Well, then, I will tell you. I'm going to kill you. Do you know why?"

"No," he lied again.

"Now that I know my love is not gone and is trapped in a teapot somewhere, I want to become human again so I can go and find him. But I need your human form."

"So how does that work? A machine of some sort?"

"No, stupid boy! A spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"A spell that will make me human again."

"So how does it work?"

"I need to take your human form from you. The spell will transfer it from your body to mine, so that I will be human and you will be nothing but a cursed spirit."

"But why me and not someone else?" Jay knew all the answers to these questions; he was just stalling. Anything to keep her talking until the other ninja arrived to save him. _Come on guys, where are you?_ he wondered.

"The spell calls for a person who loved you, but who you did not love in return," Dilara explained.

"Exactly how does that apply to me?"

"Long ago, I was promised to the prince of the Arabian Isles. His name was Amir. He liked me immediately. But I hated him. Unfortunately, he has been dead for centuries. But by performing a different spell, I can return his spirit to your body to make this spell work."

Jay's heart plummeted. He hadn't known that. And that sounded like an awfully familiar situation. "Just like when you possessed Nya!" he accused.

"Ah, you aren't entirely brainless! Yes, it is like how I possessed Nya."

"I'm not a prince! I didn't grow up rich! I was a poor boy raised in a junkyard. For the longest time I didn't even have a real future! I'm telling you, you've got the wrong guy!"

"You will be the right one in a moment."

"You won't get away with this!"

"Enough talk! You are stalling me! It is time to begin the first spell." Dilara opened up the spellbook and began to look for the right page.

"My friends will come for me!" Jay shouted. _Where are you, guys?!_

"Your friends have all been caught by my clever tricks," Dilara laughed as she began to read the incantations. Jay could feel his consciousness slowly slipping away. Jay's thoughts turned to Nya. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. Including one particular question that should probably have been saved for years from now, but he'd been highly considering it ever since they'd gotten back together. He'd even been fantasizing where he'd ask her, maybe in Ignacia, where she'd grown up, or even at Mega Monster Amusement Park, where they'd had their first date. Maybe he'd have taken her out in the ocean on A Wish And A Prayer, where they'd be surrounded by her element. Now none of that would ever get to happen….

"Not all of his friends are gone!" a familiar voice that always soothed Jay's ears protested.

* * *

Nya had heard all she needed to hear. "Not all of his friends are gone!" she refuted as she dropped down from her hiding place in the rafters.

Dilara turned to face the new threat. "Not you!" she hissed.

Nya smiled. "Yeah, me. And I believe your luck runs out right now." As Nya gathered a ball of water in her hands, Dilara disappeared.

"You may have water," Dilara's voice taunted. "But you'll have to find me before you can use it on me!" Nya spun around, shooting water out of her hands to get a 360 degree coverage. Apparently she hadn't hit her though, because Dilara laughed. Giving up on this task, she ran over to the wall where Jay was looking dizzy.

"...Nya?" he croaked.

"Don't worry Jay, I'll get you out of- oof!" Nya was thrown back. Dilara had temporarily come out of hiding to push her away from Jay. Before Nya could aim a jet of water at her though, Dilara disappeared again. The incantations continued. Nya rushed back over to Jay.

"Nya! Listen!" Jay whispered. "Dilara is going to turn me into Amir before she takes my solid form away from me. If we assume that she will lose her ability to disappear when she begins to take in the solid form, you can... get her before... she becomes... fully human."

"But Jay! If she takes away your consciousness before your form, won't that mean you might be stuck as Amir forever?"

"It's a risk we'll... have to take! Trust me... Nya!" Nya could see his eyes starting change from that shocking blue to a sickly green.

"No! Jay!" she cried.

"N-nya…" His head drooped. Nya could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

Suddenly Jay's head snapped upward again. He looked at Nya first with confusion, then pleasent surprise.

"Dilara?" he asked in a completely different voice. "You survived the pirate attack?"

"NO!" Nya sobbed, and fell to her knees.

"Out of the way, silly girl!" Dilara spat.

"Wait, two Dilaras?" Amir asked.

"No, I'm Dilara, Amir."

"Oh. Wait, Dilara, why are you green?"

"I'm a ghost, for Ali Baba's sake!"

Amir frowned. "This is one of your grumpy days, isn't it?"

"You always were such a dim boy!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Enough! Time for the second spell!" Dilara picked up the book again, turned to the right page, and started to read the second incantation.

Suddenly Nya remembered Jay's last words to her. She had to kill Dilara. She got up from the floor, turned around, and saw that Dilara was starting to look more solid.

"No… Dilara… What are you doing?" Amir groaned.

 _Jay, this is for you,_ Nya thought with a glance toward her possessed boyfriend. She gathered a ball of water in her hand. Unfortunately Dilara spotted what she was doing. She stopped reading the spell and closed her eyes tightly. Nya realized that she was trying to disappear, but couldn't. Jay's theory was right! It took a few seconds for Dilara to realize it, too. She looked at Nya in horror.

Nya smirked. "Guess you should have thought of this, huh? This is for Jay!"

Dilara seemed to realize what was going to happen a split second before it did. Nya blasted the ghost with as much water as she could muster, and Dilara exploded in a green cloud. Left behind was a tan gas. It began to drift back towards Jay's limp, slightly transparent body. When the gas was completely absorbed, the blue ninja's form looked completely solid again. However, he did not show any signs of life.

Nya looked around for keys and found them on a hook on the wall. She rushed over to Jay and released him. He was very cold. She gently shook him by the shoulders. "Come on, Jay, wake up!" she begged. "I did it! Dilara's gone. Wake up! Jay, I came back for you. Now come back for me!" When he didn't answer, she began to weep into his shoulder.

And then he coughed.

"Jay!" Nya cried.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. "Amir's head was a weird place," he said weakly. "I don't know if I want to go back anytime soon."

Nya laughed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She helped him into a sitting position. "She's gone now, Jay. Dilara's gone!"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Nya, you did it! I knew you could."

Nya gave a small chuckle. "Well, you saved me a few months ago. Just returning the favor."

"Thanks."

"We need to get going. The others got left behind. Come on."

"Not sure I'm ready to get up yet, Nya. I'm still kinda dizzy."

Nya smiled mischievously. "I think I might know how to get you up and running…." she said.

"How?"

"This." She gave him a brief kiss on the lips. Immediately his face lit up. "Better?" she asked with a giggle.

"WAY better!"

* * *

 **(A/N) PARALLELS, PARALLELS, PARALLELS! HOW I LOVE THE PARALLELS! AND ROLE SWAPPING!**

 **Ahem. Sorry about that. But seriously, I put a LOT of parallels in there. Did you catch them all? Dilara eliminating the ninja until only one is left, Nadakhan eliminating all the ninja until only one is left; Dilara turning Jay into Amir, Nadakhan turning Nya into Dilara; Dilara using a spell to make her human again, Nadakhan using a spell to give himself infinite wishes; Nya defeating Dilara, Jay defeating Nadakhan; Nya saves Jay, Jay saved Nya; and of course, the kiss at the end. So how many did you catch? Tell me in the reviews!**

 **Speaking of reviews, in only two chapters and a short introduction I have received half of the number of reviews I got for** _ **21st Century Ninja**_ **! I never thought I would get so much positive feedback for this story! Thank you!**

 **By the way, did anyone figure out what the hand mirror said? Here it is again:** _**Ti dnif lliw i dna, kees uoy tahw em llet.**_ **Hint 1: I got the idea from the Mirror of Erised. Hint 2: it's not in another language. If you figure it out, tell me in the reviews!**

 **The people who reviewed last chapter are ebony umbreon, TheAmberShadow, CrystalliaWriting, ShinyShiny9, LiaLia15, MMM, CraftyNinjaCat13, Toni42, Guest, Ninjagirl99206, and Fairycakeater! Thank you everyone!**

 **And now a message from my** _ **other**_ **little brother because he kept begging me for recognition. :P**

 **Brother: Thanks sis! I really liked this chapter and I hope you all do too!**

 **Brother: P.S: I LOVE DA PARALLELS!**

 **INFJwriter: -_-**

 **Brother: You're welcome! :D**

 **INFJwriter: -_-**

 **Brother: Thank you for letting me put that!**

 **INFJwriter: *rolls eyes* No joke. This was a real conversation between us while he was writing this.**

 **NINJAGO SEASON 7 PREMIERES TOMORROW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

 **Review please!**


	5. Conclusion

**(A/N) MOST. VIEWED. FANFIC. OF. MY. FANFICTION. CAREER!**

 **Just in time for my fanfiction birthday month, too! I kept forgetting to say that! October was when I first posted** _ **Neverender!**_

 **Well, here it is. The conclusion of _They Call Her Dilara_ is finally here just in time for Halloween. So, has everyone seen Day of the Departed? Here's my reaction!**

 **Disappointment.**

 **Yes. I am disappointed with Ninjago. I haven't been this disappointed since Rebooted and The Love Triangle (yes, capitalized on purpose), and that's saying something. I almost posted a rant at the end of this chapter (I told a few of you I would), but my friend warned against it, so if you want to know my extended opinion, PM or say so in the reviews, and I can message you back the full rant.**

 **Guest review replies!**

 **TheAmberShadow: Thanks!**

 **TheNinjaLover: Thanks! Here it is!**

 **ebony umbreon: Thanks! You got it!**

 **MMM: Yep! And unfortunately, I have to disagree with you.**

 **Read!**

* * *

Conclusion

The next morning, everyone was gathered in the bridge of the Bounty. They were finally sailing through the clouds, bound for the mainland. Jay and Nya had just finished telling everyone what had happened in the basement.

"Wow," Cole breathed. "That's one heck of a story."

"I'll say," Lloyd agreed. "So Dilara's really gone now?"

"Yep!" Nya confirmed proudly. "The day is saved once again!"

"My question is, what are we going to tell the public?" Zane asked. "Should we tell them it is no longer haunted and it is now perfectly safe?"

"Are you kidding, Zane?" Kai blurted. "Why do you want to ruin their fun? What good is a haunted house if you know it isn't haunted?"

"Kai has a point," Jay considered. "People won't find it enjoyable there anymore if they know that it isn't haunted anymore. Let them have their fun!"

"So, let's keep this whole thing between us, agreed?" Lloyd asked everyone.

"Agreed," everyone responded.

"So, what now?" Cole asked.

"Well," Kai began, "there's this really cool-sounding 'Hall of Villainy' Day of the Departed special exhibit at the museum opening tomorrow. Why don't we go see that?"

"Hey, I heard about that!" Jay said, his face lighting up. "Great idea, Kai!"

"I'll set the course," Nya offered. "Hall of Villainy, here we come!" The Destiny's Bounty picked up speed, and they were off toward another adventure.

* * *

Nya stood outside on the deck of the Bounty resting her elbows on the railing, staring into the clear blue sky. They were gliding just above the clouds, and it made such a view.

"There you are," a jovial voice said behind her.

She turned her head, and there was Jay, grinning widely at her. He went and stood by her, leaning against the railing. She smiled back, but it was only a half smile. Jay's face turned from happy to concerned. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong!" Nya responded a little too cheerfully.

"Nya." Jay put a hand on her shoulder. "No more secrets, remember? Tell me what's wrong."

Nya sighed. "Well, this incident with Dilara has gotten me thinking; what if it's a bad omen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's just this bad feeling that I just can't shake. I feel like this Day of the Departed is going to be different than any other year. Like, in a bad way."

Jay frowned. "Well, I don't see what could happen, Nya. Crime is at an all-time low nowadays. This Dilara incident is the first thing that's happened in a while, unless you count the pirates, which technically _didn't_ happen."

"I know, I just…I don't know." She leaned into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, if anything does happen, we'll be ready. Okay?"

"Okay."

For a while they just stood there, happy in each other's company.

"Thanks for saving me, Nya."

"Right back at you."

* * *

 **(A/N) Did that make you smile? It made me smile.**

 **Reviewers last chapter were ShinyShiny9, MMM, LiaLia15, Toni42, ebony umbreon, MLPninjagomore13, TheNinjaLover, TheAmberShadow, and CrystalliaWriting. Thank you to you and everyone else who reviewed in this fic!**

 **Wow. It's over. Well, except for the fact that I may just be rewriting "Day of the Departed" as a sequel to this. Mostly expanding it. Because I thought it was that much of a disappointment. This was kind of the bridge. You probably don't want to hear my full rant, which is why I didn't post it. My friend said not to besmudge my work with such things. After thinking about it, I agreed with her, and deleted a full page and a half of author's note/rant.**

 **Alright, review please!**


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